Two friends who were at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester say they heard a “massive bang” and then a big tremor as the arena was attacked .

Erin McDougle and Elspeth Pywell, both from Northumberland , were at the gig on Monday night when a bomb exploded, killing 22 people and injuring 59.

Thousands of people tried to rush out of the venue in a panic as emergency services tried to deal with the incident.

Erin McDougle, left, and Elspeth Pywell, who were at the Manchester Arena (Image: Erin McDougle)

Northumbria University student Erin, 20, of Blyth , said: “The concert finished and the lights came on. People had started leaving when there was a massive bang and big tremor like an earthquake. It was such a massive tremor.

”People started to scream and were panicking. We went for the nearest exit and tried to get out.

Armed police close to the Manchester Arena, the morning after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester (Image: PA)

“As we were leaving, we smelled smoke and that’s when we knew that something was wrong - the bang wasn’t a balloon popping or a speaker dropping. We just thought ‘we need to get out of here’.

“There was pure panic everywhere, there were people crying, those who had lost signal on their phone, people who were trying to find their friends or relatives.”

Scene after an explosion at the Manchester Arena

The pair tried to walk back to their hotel but found the roads blocked. They then contacted a friend who lives in Manchester for help.